Legendary Heroes

Kumasaka in the misty moonlight

Yoshitoshi has portrayed a noh theatre actor in the role of Kumasaka Chohan, an outlaw lay priest. In 1174, Kumasaka and his band of outlaws attacked the armed caravan of a gold merchant who had stopped for the night at an inn. He was killed by the young Yoshitsune (Ushiwaka) (1159-89) of the Minamoto clan, who had joined a caravan to go to northern Japan. The actor is wearing a noh mask and extravagant robes. In the noh play based on the story, a travelling priest met another priest who gave him lodging for the night. The traveller fell asleep, and in his dream, his host revealed that he was Kumasaka and described how he had been killed.